Sweat band for hats



Jan. .18, 1938. J. MARGULIEAS YETIYAL SWEAT BAND FOR HATS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 6, 1955 HINVENTOYRS JOHN MARGULIES DAVID H. YOUNG BY THEIR ATTORNEYS Janrls, 1938. J. MARGULIES ET AL 2,105,980 SWEAT BAND FOR HATS Filed Dec. 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllll INVENTORS JOHN MARGULIES DAVID H. YOUNG BY THEIR ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT CE Application December 6, 1935, Serial No. 53,232

8 Claims.

This invention relates to sweatbands for hats, and more particularly to extensible sweatbands. It is desirable that a hat be capable of adjusting itself to heads of different sizes, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved form of extensible sweatband to give a hat of adjustable size and at the same time to produce a sweatband which will present a smooth surface to the head and be comfortable to wear. It is characteristic of hats made in accordance with this invention that the two ends of the sweatband are placed. in overlapping relationship in such manner that an even, smooth surface is presented to the head of the wearer at all times, in spite of the overlapping.

Referring now to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an inverted plan view of the head opening of a hat containing the novel extensible sweatband;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the shortest dimension of the hat of Fig. l on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the faces of the overlapping ends of the sweatband;

Figs. 3 to '7 inclusive are sections through the sweatband showing the various stages of assembling the sweatband and its mounting in the hat; Fig. 3 showing the leather skived and notched; Fig. 4 showing the novel braided fabric which joins the sweatband proper to the felt; Fig. 5 showing the sweatband proper with the narrow fabric turned up; Fig. 6 showing the narrow fabric attached to the felt; and Fig. 7 showing the parts completely united;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic showing of the manner in which the sweatband moves circumferentially when the wearers head enlarges the sweatband;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation of the overlapping ends of the sweatband shown in Figs. 1 and 2 on a full scale;

Fig. 10 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 9, taken from the back of the sweatband;

Fig. 11 is a corresponding elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 9, showing the sweatband ends in their expanded relation;

Fig. 12 shows the two ends of the sweatband disassembled;

Fig. 13 is a vertical section through the overlapping ends of the sweatband taken on the line I3l3 of Fig. 9 where the tongue of one end overlies the other end;

Fig. 14 is a similar section through the two ends of the sweatband taken on the line I i-l4 of Fig. 9 where the full width of the overlying end .covers the full width of the underlying end; 5 while Fig. 15 is a horizontal section through the overlapping ends of the sweatband, showing the manner in which the ends overlap and the method of attaching the sweatband to the braid.

The hat'has the usual felt crown 3! and brim 5 32 with the usual ribbon 33 outside the crown. In general the sweatband 3d of the hat occupies its usual position, and it may be made of leather or any other suitable material, and where in the claims we speak of a leather it should be understood as including any other material of which the sweatband proper may be made, e. g. woven fabric, etc. In addition to this sweatband proper 3 3, the sweatband includes certain other elements.

It is desirable that the sweatband should present to the wearers head a surface which is smooth and evenwithout creases in it. For this purpose it is desirable that at the two ends of the sweatband at the back of the head, the sweatband should in the main present a surface composed wholly of the sweatband proper. Heretofore when the ends of a leather or fabric sweatband have been overlapped, the variations in thickness of the parts have produced unevenness and ridges which make the hat uncomfortable. According to this invention, objectionable ridges are done away with. Wherever the parts or ends overlap so as to produce a multiple thickness, the leather or fabric is skived, depressed, stamped, or otherwise thinned out in such manner that the parts fit together with approximately the thickness of a single layer of the leather or fabric of the sweatband proper. Referring to Fig. 12 of the drawings, the underlying end of the sweat- 35 band proper is designated by the reference character 35, and the overlying end by the reference numeral 36. This terminology should be read as the parts appear when looking inside the hat, as it appears in Fig. 2. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 15, the overlying end 36 has a tongue 31 which is located midway of the top and bottom of the sweatband and its width is equal to about half the height of the sweatband. This tongue can be tapered. When the parts are in their unexpanded position, they appear as shown for instance in Fig. 9. The square end 38 of the underlying .end of the sweatband is located a short distance beyond the base of the tongue 31 of the overlying end. The portion of the underlying end 35 which is covered when the sweatband is unexpanded is indicated in Fig. 12 by fine vertical lines. This entire portion should be thinned out, compressed or otherwise made of less thickness than the remainder of the sweatband. In

addition it is preferable also to thin the tongue 3'! and so much of the overlying end 36 as lies on top of the underlying end 35 when the parts are in their unexpanded position. It will be noted that the tongue 31 has been reduced in thickness to approximately half its original thickness, and similarly that portion of the end 35 which underlies the end 36 of the sweatband has been thinned out, so that the total thickness through the sweatband at the tongue 31 is approximately the same as the normal thickness of the leather. Similarly in Fig. 14, the entire width of both the overlying and underlying ends 33 and 35 of the sweatband have been thinned out so that the thickness of the band is approximately the same as the normal thickness of the rest of the sweatband.

To make a hat having a sweatband extensible for what corresponds to the complete range of one persons hat size, it is necessary that the sweatband be extensible only a fraction of an inch. Thus, Figs. 9 to 15 of the drawings being on full scale, it will be noted from Fig. 11 that it is a rather small fraction of an inch which the sweatband has to expand to give the variations within one hat size. For the purpose of fastening these sweatband ends together resiliently, the novel means which will now be described has been devised.

We have discovered that the most practical form of elastic connection between the two ends is a narrow covered elastic, such as shown on the surface of the upper end 36. We have discovered that in order to get the amount of stretch required, it is necessary to have a rather long length of the elastic, and it is partly for this purpose that we have provided the tongue 37 on an end of the sweatband proper. This long straight length of elastic is designated by the number 39. In order that this length of elastic 33 may not press agaimt the wearers head and form a ridge, the face of the tongue 3'! and the overlapping end 36 of the sweatband proper are recessed at 40 (see Fig. 12). At each end of the recess is a hole 4| passing through the leather or fabric of the sweatband, and in the case of the hole 4| in the tongue 37 there is a corresponding hole 42 through the end 35 of the sweatband. When the two ends are in unextended or normal position, the hole 42 is in register with the hole M in the tongue 31. Two ends of the length 39 of the elastic pass through these end holes and are held thereby. With this arrangement the elastic has a longer stretch than usual. In order that the length 39 of elastic may remain in its groove, we tie it in place at points intermediate its ends. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 15, two tying points are provided. For the purpose of making these ties, slots 43 are provided at two points intermediate the ends of the length 39. The amount of overlap of the two ends 35, 36 is such that these two intermediate points at which the tying loops are to be placed occur where the two ends overlap and therefore slots 43, registering with each other, are found in both the end 35 and the end 36. These slots are located adjacent the depression or recess 40 in which lies the length 39 of elastic. The ends of the elastic coming through the hole 4i and hole 42 to the rear of the sweatband are brought to the slots 43 on one side of the recess 40 and to the front of the sweatband through these slots. The ends are then laid over the length 33 of elastic and pass back through the two slots 43 on the other side of the groove 48 to the rear of the sweatband, where they are brought together and tied as shown in Fig. 10. In addition, by using this arrangement of tying with the elastic passing through these slots 43 in both ends of the sweatband, the strength .of the straight length 39 of elastic is supplemented by these tying loops in its work of holding the ends of the sweatband together. The dimensions of the parts are such that the maximum extension of the sweatband is obtained without extending the straight length 39 to its full extent. In this way the life of the elastic is prolonged, and it does not tend to become slack. We have discovered that the thinned out or depressed ends of the sweatband are not quite as strong as is sometimes desirable, and we have therefore strengthened these ends. This is done by treating the overlapping ends with a stiffening preparation such as cement, shellac or any other stiffener or sizing material. In the drawings the entire overlapped or thin portion 45 of the underlying end 35 is thus stiffened, as indicated by vertical lines in Fig. 12. This stiffening cement is preferably placed on the face of the underlying end. On the overlying end 35 of the sweatband proper the cement is placed on the under side, covering the tongue 3'! and the entire end 38 back as far as the dotted line 46. In the drawings the tying ends of the elastic on the back of the sweatband are not placed in recesses, although this can be done if desired, similarly to the recess 40 on the front. It is found that the stiffening coatings given the overlapping ends of the sweatband prevent any undesirable ridges or creases being formed by anything in back of the overlapped ends. It will be observed that in the structure just described the tensioning is provided by the straight length 39 of elastic on the face of the sweatband and by the tying loops i l which lie in the slots 43 between the two ends of the sweatband. It will be observed that the holes 43 are slightly wider than the elastic which constitutes the tying loops 44.

The manner of mounting the sweatband 34 in the hat will now be described. In order that the hat may be adjustable for any size of head, it is obviously advantageous that the sweatband proper may stretch with relation to the crown 3i and brim 32 throughout the entire circumference of the hat. For this purpose an elastic medium is introduced between the sweatband proper and the felt of the hat. For this purpose. we prefer to employ an elastic cushion braid. This braid may consist of longitudinal elastic yarns and material braided thereon. The material can be made of lastex, if desired. It is 1ongitudinally extensible and resilient and also is resilient to creasing on a longitudinal line. This material extends completely around the hat, as can be seen in Fig. 1, although if desired it can be placed in the hat with the adjacent ends disconnected from each other at the point where the ends 35, 36 of the sweatband proper or leather overlie each other. As shown in Fig. 7, one longitudinal edge of this braid or elastic material is stitched to the felt, preferably at the juncture of the brim 32 and the crown 3|.

The other longitudinal edge of the cushion braid 4'! can be attached to the lower edge of the sweatband proper in any desired manner. In Figs. 3 to 7 is shown one method of doing this. Beginning with Fig. 3, it will be observed that the lower end of the sweatband proper is skived until it has a tapered surface 50, and a longitudinal groove M is cut therein midway the edges of the bevelled surface. The edge of the braid elastic 41 is then fixed or otherwise attached to the bevelled surface 50 between the groove and the lower edge of the material, as shown in Fig. 4. The bevelled surface 50 is then folded on itself with the groove 5| forming the crease, as shown in Fig. 5, and the opposite edge of the braid is then stitched to the felt, as shown in Fig. 6. As the final stage, the contacting parts of the surface 50 are cemented or otherwise fastened together, as shown in Fig. 7. In this way a hidden stitching is obtained between the sweatband proper 34 and the braid or elastic 41.

The method of mounting the sweatband just described gives a peculiarly efficient cushion. As already mentioned, the elastic braid 4'! is resilient and therefore will provide a cushioning effect. In addition, the lower edge of the sweatband 34, by virtue of the small opening formed by the groove 5|, has resiliency itsef as it lies in contact with the wearers head. If the sweatband 34 is pressed outwardly to a considerable extent, the braid 41 as well as the lower edge of the sweatband 34 will contact with the wearers head. In this way when the extension of the band is considerable, there are two folds contacting the wearers head and distributing the pressure between them.

It will be observed that by using this extensible, resilient, elastic braid, it is possible for the sweatband to move circumferentially and to enlarge where the ends 35, 36 overlap. As shown in Fig. 8, this reduction in the overlap moves the sweatband from the solid line position, the solid and dotted arrows indicating the amount of circumferential movement at the various points chosen.

What we claim is:

1. A sweatband for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends and elastic means passing through said overlapped ends at a plurality of points to hold them together resiliently.

2. A sweatband of adjustable size for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends and elastic means connecting said ends at their overlapped portion, the elastic means lying on the face of the sweatband in a recess so as to present an even, uniform surface to the head of the wearer.

3. A sweatband of adjustable size for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends, the overlapped portions being thinned, in combination with elastic means passing through the overlapped portions at a plurality of points to connect said ends, and the portion of said elastic means lying on the face of the sweatband being in a groove in order that said sweatband may present a smooth surface to the head of the wearer.

4. A sweatband of adjustable length comprising a leather having overlapped ends, a yielding means joining said ends by passing through both said overlapped ends at a plurality of points.

5. A sweatband of adjustable size for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends, the overlapped portions being thinned, in combination with means resiliently holding said ends in overlapped relation, said means comprising an elastic portion lying longitudinally of the sweatband on the face thereof in a recess, and loo-psintermediate the ends of said longitudinal portions tying same at said intermediate points.

6. A sweatband for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends and elastic means with a longitudinal portion passing through said overlapped ends and adapted to hold them in overlapped relation, the ends of said longitudinal portion of the elastic being secured together after passing through the overlapped ends to hold them together resiliently at a point intermediate the ends of the longitudinal portion.

7. A sweatband for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends and elastic means with a longitudinal portion passing through said overlapped ends and adapted to hold them in overlapped relation, the ends of said longitudinal portion of the elastic being secured together after passing through the overlapped ends and around the longitudinal portion to hold said overlapped ends together resiliently at a point intermediate the ends of the longitudinal portion.

8. A sweatband for a hat, comprising a leather having overlapped ends and elastic means having a portion extending longitudinally of the leather longer than the overlap of the ends and holding them in overlapping relation, in combination with end portions of the elastic'means holding the iongitudinal portion of the elastic and the two ends of the leather together resiliently at a plurality of points intermediate the ends of the longitudinal portion, said end portions being themselves secured together.

JOHN MARGULIES. DAVID H. YOUNG. 

